


Better than The Hamptons

by starrnobella



Category: Gossip Girl (TV 2007)
Genre: F/M, False Bay, Penguins, Summer Vacation, Sunburn, cape town, christmas in july, melting pot fanfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:07:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24972847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrnobella/pseuds/starrnobella
Summary: Dan and Serena enjoy a little too much time out in the sun exploring False Bay to see the penguins.
Relationships: Dan Humphrey/Serena van der Woodsen
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7
Collections: Christmas in July 2020





	Better than The Hamptons

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey all, I'm back! Hello lovely Gossip Girl fandom, I hope you do enjoy this little tale.
> 
> This was written for Melting Pot's Christmas in July Fest and my prompt was Dan/Serena, Cape Town, South Africa, and Sunburn. The amount of research that went into this little tale was astronomical, so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> This was beta ready by Grammarly. All mistakes are my own otherwise.
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Love always,
> 
> ~starr

"Where are we going again?" Dan asked, looking out of the train window as the beautiful scenery of Cape Town flew past. When he agreed to come on vacation with Serena, he thought she was referring to spending the summer in the Hamptons. Much to his surprise, the pair ended up in Cape Town, South Africa, where they could spend the summer hidden away from the eyes of the world.

"Simons Town," Serena replied, turning to look at him with a smile beaming brightly from her face. "From there we're going to Boulder's Bay to see the penguins. You brought sunscreen with you, right?"

Dan thought about it for a moment and nodded his head. "Yeah, it should still be in the backpack from our hike yesterday. Penguins?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

Serena nodded her head. "Mhmm. African penguins. Then we can go swimming or try to find some other animals. Seals, ostriches, dolphins, and sharks are all very popular along the bay."

"Sharks?" he asked, raising a brow in concern.

"Don't worry," Serena insisted, taking his hand in hers and bringing it to her lips. "I'll keep you safe," she said, pressing her lips against his hand.

Dan shook his head with a laugh before pulling Serena across the space between them, landing her right in his lap. He kissed the side of her head and then reached up with his other hand, looping a finger under her chin to bring her face closer to his. Capturing her lips with his, Dan moved his hand from her chin to the base of her head as he kissed her.

After a few moments, they pulled apart just enough that Serena could rest her forehead against Dan's. Giggling, Serena's smile widened as her eyes met his. She leaned down and pressed another quick kiss to his lips before sliding off his lap into the empty seat beside him, resting her legs in his lap.

Dan wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him as they directed their attention to the window, looking out at False Bay to see the waves crashing against the rocks. As the couple settled into their seats, they each sighed contentedly. They couldn't ask for a better way to spend their summer vacation, especially if it meant staying out of the prying eyes of anyone reporting for Gossip Girl.

"Passengers, we are about to head into the station at Simon's Town. Please gather your belongings and prepare to exit the train," the conductor announced.

Reluctantly, Serena pulled away from Dan's arm and reached for her bag that was still on the opposite bench. Dan reached down and pulled his backpack out from underneath him, resting it on his feet. Once the train came to a stop, they picked up their bags, slinging them over their shoulders and made their way out into the town.

The sun shone brightly on Dan and Serena as they embarked on their journey from the train station through Simon's Town. Along the way, they stopped in a few of the shops just for a blast of cold air and a break from the sun before making their way along the peninsula down to Boulder's Beach.

After a short hike, Serena noticed a group of people starting to gather near the edge of the road. She looked back at Dan over her shoulder and smiled, motioning to him. "Come on! I think the penguins are just over here."

Dan chuckled and nodded his head as he made his way up to where Serena was waiting for him. He'd do anything to see her smile and listen to her laugh. There was a part of him that wished they could stay here forever without returning to the craziness of the Upper East Side.

Resting his hand against the small of Serena's back, Dan looked around at the beautiful scenery surrounding them and the penguins roaming freely along the rocks. He would never have imagined seeing penguins in a warm climate like South Africa, but here they were thriving with the sun beaming brightly on them. Dan could feel the sun warming the back of his neck, arms, and legs. Pushing the sensations to the back of his mind, he continued to observe the penguins for a few moments more.

"Let's take a picture," Serena chirped, pulling her phone out of her pocket. She snapped their picture quickly and then took Dan by the hand and started leading him towards Windmill Beach.

Once they found an empty spot on the sand, Serena started digging through her bag to find the beach towels and laying them down in the sand. As she got those settled, she reached for the hem of her tank top and pulled it over her head, revealing a pink bikini top. She reached back into the bag and pulled out a bottle of sunscreen, handing it to Dan. "You help me; I'll help you?"

Dan laughed and took the bottle from her hands. "Sounds like a plan," he said, squeezing some lotion into his hands and then turning his attention to Serena's shoulders. He took his time, making sure to cover every inch of exposed skin on her back.

After a few moments, Serena turned to face him. "Alright, Humphrey," she announced. "Your turn. Take off your shirt."

Pulling at the hem of his shirt, Dan made swift work of his top and tossing it aside before turning his back to her. He heard her grimace and looked back over his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Did you remember to put sunscreen on before we got off the train?" she asked, worrying her lip.

"I thought I did, why?" Dan asked, furrowing his brow.

"The back of your neck is pretty burnt," Serena replied, frowning as she reached for her back. "I think I have some aloe in here."

She dug around in her bag for a few moments before extracting a green bottle. "This should help," she said, squeezing some into her hands. "It might be a little cold."

Serena pressed her palms to the burnt area on his neck and giggled when he shivered at her touch. She proceeded to rub in the aloe, alleviating some of the sting that Dan had felt earlier. Once she was done, she wiped her hands off on the towel before draping her arms gently over his shoulders, pulling him back against her chest.

"We may want to spend some time in the shade tomorrow," she teased, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead.

"As long as I'm with you, I don't care what we do," Dan replied, leaning his head back and pushing up to press his lips to hers.

"So you'd be down to swim with sharks?" she asked, raising a brow with a smirk pulling at her lips. She tossed her head back with a laugh as the panic overtook Dan's face. "I'm teasing. We'll save that for the end of our trip. Or at least wait until your sunburn heals a little bit."

"Sounds like a plan," Dan laughed, laying down to rest his head in Serena's lap. He looked up at her and smiled. This was better than any summer in the Hamptons. "Maybe we should summer in Cape Town more often."

Serena looked down at him and smiled. "We can summer anywhere you want," she said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his lips once more.


End file.
